Sitaram Kesri shows he can afford to twist PM I.K Gujral any which way he likes

Sitaram Kesri shows he can afford to twist PM I.K Gujral any which way he likes

Prime ministers will be prime ministers and are wont to be late, even if it is for luncheons they are hosting. And the guests, no matter how high and mighty, have little choice but to wait patiently. Diplomatic niceties demand it.

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india today digital

October 13, 1997

ISSUE DATE: October 13, 1997

UPDATED: May 15, 2013 17:38 IST

Delhi: Prime ministers will be prime ministers and are wont to be late, even if it is for luncheons they are hosting. And the guests, no matter how high and mighty, have little choice but to wait patiently. Diplomatic niceties demand it.

Not so, if you are Sitaram Kesri. At a recent lunch hosted by Prime Minister I.K. Gujral for Belarus President Alyaksandr Lukashenka, the Congress chief arrived on time, as did the rest of the invitees.

But unlike others, he did not stay on to make polite conversation, till the distinguished host arrived - a full 90 minutes late. Known neither for patience nor diplomatic niceties, but well-known for shooting from the hip, "kingmaker" Kesri was the only one who left before Gujral arrived. The only one, some say, who can afford to twist the Prime Minister any which way he likes.

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